Shreya Dwivedi

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Garden of Learning

Reimagining a Park as a Cultural Generator

2020
KRVIA
Individual Project-Design Dissertation

Lucknow is commonly know as the cultural city of india. The identity has been built by the cultural practices, the people living in it and the built form. It is this cultural identity which is still very much a part of the memory of people. Today as the forces of globalisation act on the city the cultural characteristic which differentiated the city from other places will soon fade into oblivion leading to gentrification , loss of identity and loss of sense of place.

The language, Urdu, played a major role in shaping this culture. It was at the very heart of it. Today despite the various schemes and large fund allocations from the government at the centre and state to promote the language and cultural practices in the city, there has been no significant change in the position of Urdu .

The aim of the thesis is to explore the architecture for the promotion and propagation of Urdu which can be adopted by the government instead of the current one, such that the city is able to maintain its individuality giving its people a sense of place.

The intervention tries to Re-imagine a park as a place for learning which moves away from the idea of closed door education. Revival of the heritage structure alongside new scattered interventions will give it value .It will also serve as a connection between the past and the present, just as the argument of Urdu revival in the present day tries to bridge that same gap.

Monument and Urdu Learning Institute

The Urdu learning institute has been designed as an annex to the monument with the formal learning spaces underground and a discussion space and gallery on the ground level. More public programs on the ground level aim to draw visitors towards the functions. The opening on the ground level ,looking into the spaces below have been designed such that people are able to see and hear the activities downstairs.

On the ground floor is the discussion space which has been designed as a colonnade with columns large enough to give a sense of privacy to people sitting between them. It can be used by people studying below or from outside also.The gallery beside the colonnade can be used for holding exhibitions. The staircase or lifts take one to the underground level or above the gallery.

The annex connects to the monument with a path leading directly into the library .The library is a large double height space with additional reading spaces on either side which look out into the garden all around. The ground level of the heritage structure also houses a digital cell, an archival space, association rooms and a shop. The space for the administration is on the first floor.

The lower level has the formal learning spaces with a reception , an office, a staff room, an av room and class rooms each opening into a court yard. The seating space in the two central courtyards encourage interaction among the students.

Performing Arts Institute

The performing arts institute has been designed with the music and dance learning spaces underground and a large pavilion with seating spaces on the ground level .The pavilion could be used as a resting or meditation space by the people coming to the park. Here also there are courtyards beside the seating space which look into the spaces underground.

On the ground floor is the pavilion with seating along the edges . A stepped seating has been created from the footpath since the pavilion is at a higher level than the road . A stair case leads one up to the pavilion where there is a lift to go underground. There is also a ramp to come up to the level of the park next to the seating.

The underground spaces are accessed from the footpath or lift . The stair case descends down and opens infront of the common gathering space . There are studio spaces for music and dance classes each opening opening into semi private courtyards. There is also a recording and editing studio alongside the office and staff room and other ancillary functions.

Amphitheatre

The Amphitheatre acts as the main entrance to the site. The amphitheatre, the monument and the Urdu learning institute form the main central axis of the project.

The amphitheatre is sunk into the ground such that the monument becomes a backdrop to its stage. On the ground level there are ancillary spaces for the amphitheatre and underneath are the green rooms on either side. Since the Amphitheatre is well shaded in the afternoons it can be used as a resting space for the passer-by on a regular basis too.

The ground level has the ticket counters ,the sound & light room with access to the roof on either side for equipment setup and two small seating spaces. The stepped seating descends to the stage with two smaller stages at a higher level on either side.

The underground green rooms have a lounge , wardrobe, changing rooms , makeup station and a waiting space on side and a practice space and artists room with a waiting space on the other . These two green rooms are connected with a sunk corridor behind the stage . To allow for movement of the artists between the two sides during an event.

Shops and Practice Space

The practice space sits on the busy edge of the site facing the city station. It has been designed as platforms of various levels to create a differentiation in space. Underneath the higher platforms on the outer edge are shops which open towards the footpath, on the inside the spaces underneath of used to store equipments for park maintenance.

The ground floor has space for tea shops etc on the outer edge with well shaded seating spaces on either side. The presence of the shops and seating spaces created a node for people to gather .In this area the boundary of the park has punctures and reduces in height such that people on the outside can for have a visual connection with the inside.

The entry to the park is from between the shops . On entering the space one encounters the different levelled platforms on either side with people doing their rehearsals on them or just hanging out . The difference in levels creates a distinction on space , while still maintaining visual connect between each other.

Workshops and Printing Press

The workshop and printing press has been designed with the printing press and publishing house underground and workshops studios and cafeteria on the ground level with courtyards looking below.

The ground floor is is accessed from two places either from the central space ,accessed from the narrow pedestrian path, with the reception , office, waiting space and workshop studios or from the cafeteria , accessed from the main street footpath ,with an ordering counter and kitchen and pantry. The two stair cases and lifts take one underground , one to the printing press the other to the publishing house . There is also a freight lift with a loading unloading space to transfer material between the two floors.The presence of the cafeteria on the edge towards the road could act as a magnet for people walking by.

At the underground level there are two separate zones; the printing press and the publishing house .They are connected with a passage with parallel seating on either side in the courtyard. The printing section has an office and printing workshop .The freight lift opens into the storage space for the printing press. There is also a locker room for the workers with spillover spaces in the large courtyards.
In the publishing section is also a reception, waiting area , a private office and a common working space for the other staff which has a spill over space into the courtyard.

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